Giving Back

For select months out of the year, Paper + Oats gives a portion of Etsy shop profits to a variety of causes and organizations. Read about previous and upcoming donations below, keep up with the causes using #POGivesBack, and see how you can help make a difference.

SEPTEMBER 2018 | PREEMPTIVE LOVE COALITION

Can you tell this organization is close to my heart? Cause it is. For the fall launch of my signature course, The InDesign Field Guide, I donated $50 for every student who joined to this worthy cause. Preemptive Love Coalition is continually on the ground in Syria bringing food, medical attention, and safety to refugee families, long after the news cameras have turned off. They're truly loving across enemy lines, and I'm honored to feature them again this month. Through this course launch, we were able to give nearly $3,000 to support the work they’re doing. Read more about their work, and I encourage you to make your own donation to support their efforts at www.preemptivelove.org.

JUNE 2018 | UNBOUND.ORG

This month we're donating to Unbound, a sponsorship charity that serves a wide range of ages and demographics.Unbound is based in Kansas City, MO, and they're "working side by side with people of diverse faith traditions in 18 countries, bringing people together to challenge poverty in new and innovative ways." This organization was nominated by an Instagram follower at the beginning of the year, and after looking more at their mission, I was totally onboard to have them as a #POGivesBack recipient for June – 10% of Etsy shop profits will go straight towards the work they're doing around the world. More info at www.unbound.org.

MARCH 2018 | PREEMPTIVE LOVE COALITION

I had a different charity chosen for this month's giveback, but honestly, there's so much turmoil going on in Syria in recent weeks, that I wanted to bring back an old favorite to give back to again. This month, we'll be donating 10% of Etsy shop sales to Preemptive Love Coalition as they work on the ground in Syria continuing to bring food, medical attention, and safety to refugee families, long after the news cameras have turned off. They're truly loving across enemy lines, and I'm honored to feature them again this month. Read more about their work, and I encourage you to make your own donation to support their efforts at www.preemptivelove.org.

Dec 2017 | PENCILS OF PROMISE

For our final giveback of the year, I am partnering with Pencils of Promise. This charity got its start on the streets of India. The founder, Adam, asked a little boy what he wanted most in the world and the boy replied simply, "a pencil". A smile erupted on his face and his eyes brightened as he was given that pencil. Adam said in an interview later that "I then saw the profound power and promise brought through something as small as giving a pencil to just one child." From years of listening to the parents and children in the countries he visited, "it became clear that there was a need for an international nonprofit that was led on-the-ground by a staff of locals from within each country, required village participation in each school, and deeply supported, trained and tracked each student to ensure their success." 10% of all Etsy shop profits throughout December will be sent straight to Pencils of Promise.

Oct 2017 + APRIL 2018 | GIVING BACK WITH A LAUNCH

In October 2017 and April 2018, I re-launched my signature course, The InDesign Field Guide. It was the fifth and sixth time I had launched it, but it was a first for me in using a course launch to give back. While it wasn't an official "P+O Gives Back" month, I decided to incorporate this value into a launch, because the need is so great. For every new student who enrolled in the course during the fall 2017 + spring 2018 launches, I donated $40 to the Preemptive Love Coalition and the incredible work they do to care for refugees in Syria + Iraq. When all was said and done, we were able to pass along over $4,000 to this much needed organization serving on the ground in places most of us aren't able to go. For more info on Preemptive Love, scroll down a couple sections to the March 2017 giveback month.

SEPT 2017 | SPRINGFIELD, MO DREAM CENTER

This month's giveback is going local! I live in Springfield, MO, and the Springfield Dream Center is a new resource in the area that is doing some seriously good work. SDC provides a centralized location to place our city’s resources where they are most needed. Located in a low-income area of the city, they offer after school programs, adult education, a food pantry, addiction recovery ministries, and much more. I love what SDC is doing, and they were an easy choice for this month's #POGivesBack. 10% of Etsy shop profits will go towards SDC, all month long! Check out more details on how the Dream Center is impacting our community at www.springfielddreamcenter.com.

JUNE 2017 | AM. FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION

The June 2017 giveback recipient is the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. AFSP is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. 10% of the shop profits this month will go to this foundation that is encouraging schools, workplaces, and communities to make mental health a priority. They have chapters all over the 50 states and are constantly working to prevent suicide and support those who have been affected by it. To read more about this noble cause or to find an event local to you, head to afsp.org.

MARCH 2017 | PREEMPTIVE LOVE COALITION

The first giveback of 2017 will be for Preemptive Love Coalition and the incredible work they do to care for refugees in Syria + Iraq. They can explain their mission so eloquently: "Everyday, we make choices that either sustain conflict or transform it. In the face of terror, you can confront fear with love and remake the world. Preemptive Love Coalition starts by asking displaced families one simple question: what do you need? If they recently fled and have absolutely nothing, we start with the basics: food, shelter, hygiene kits, and access to clean water. If their child has a life-threatening heart problem, we help get them the operation they need. For those attempting to return home, we help them rebuild." This is such a needed organization serving on the ground in places most of us aren't able to go. For all of March, 10% of profits from my Etsy shop will go towards the vital work they're doing in Syria + Iraq.

Nov 2016 | The Early Family Adoption

The last giveback of 2016 will be a bit different than usual. The donation this time will come from my new seasonal project called Post Script Postcards. $5 from each postcard set will go towards Patrick and Michelle Early as they work towards adopting their first child — "We knew while we were dating that one day we would want children. As our marriage progressed without children, we were led to the decision of adoption. This has helped us learned about ourselves, our marriage, our communication, and ultimately what kind of parents we want to be. We know that God has led us to this path, and that He has something great in store for us!" Post Script Postcards are no longer available, but we were so honored to be able to give to the Early Family!

Aug 2016 | Convoy of Hope Women's Empowerment

This month's recipient is an organization that makes an impact across the globe. Convoy of Hope is local to southwest Missouri, but they do work all over the world through community development, children's feeding programs, disaster services, agricultural + rural compassion, and one more big program that this month's P+O Gives Back is dedicated to – Women's Empowerment. 10% of shop profits this month goes towards this program which encourages women around the world to realize their value and reach their potential through job training and education. As a result, many women in the program now own a business and feed and care for their own children. Learn more about Convoy of Hope at convoyofhope.org.

April 2016 | Homes for Our Troops

This month highlights an amazing organization that's building homes and rebuilding lives for our post-9/11 veterans. Homes for Our Troops builds mortgage-free, specially adapted homes for severely injured soldiers returning home, helping them rebuild their lives. They've built over 200 homes for returning vets, and I'm honored to get to partner with them this month! 10% of shop profits in April will go straight towards this honorable + much needed organization. Learn more about what Homes for Our Troops is, and what projects they're working on their website.

Feb 2016 | Team Jaidyn: Stronger Than Strong

Jaidyn is my second cousin and here are a few things you'll want to know about her: she's 10 years old, she knows more baseball stats than most grown men, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma last year, and she is #strongerthanstrong. Jaidyn finally had her last round of chemo + radiation a few weeks ago, but the effects of childhood cancer are long-lasting and the fight back to full health will take some time. Jaidyn, her parents, and her siblings are a seriously strong family that I'm proud to be related to. 10% of all my shop profits in February will go directly to helping them pay off medical bills from Jaidyn's treatments so they can get back to normal life (and baseball season!)

Dec 2015 | AIDS Project of the Ozarks

To honor World AIDS Day (December 1), 10% of shop profits from the month of December will go straight to AIDS Project of the Ozarks. APO is an amazing organization in my hometown that provides medical, testing, and educational services to families struggling with HIV infection in southwest Missouri. They're an incredibly generous organization, and I'm proud to partner with them this month. Read more about the great things they're doing on their website.

Sept 2015 | Landan's LegOcy

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month, and I'm excited to partner with Landan's LegOcy for this month's P+O Gives Back recipient. Landan was a precious little boy that went to my home church whose life was sadly cut short due to a brain tumor. Landan's LegOcy was created in his honor and provides non-medical related financial assistance to almost 40 families currently on the journey of childhood cancer. They do this through three main programs; Financial Assistance, Travel, and Remembrance. The majority of the funds are disbursed to families through our Financial Assistance program to pay phone and utility bills, make rent/house/car payments, and minor repairs to primary transportation vehicles. The Travel Program provides funds for families to be together over special or holiday weekends when they are separated during treatment. The Remembrance Program provides funds to help offset the costs of funeral arrangements and/or provides funding for memorial tributes to those who lost their battle. Read more about the legacy Landan and his family are leaving for so many other families on the journey through childhood cancer on their website.

May 2015 | Baby Keywood Adoption

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, so I thought it a fitting time to do a P+O Gives Back for a deserving family who is in the process of adoption or foster care. I took nominations and loved reading the stories of some seriously amazing families and parents. It was hard to choose one, but Sarah & Jay Keywood stuck out as a unique young couple working to domestically adopt their first child. This young couple is eager to welcome a new life into their family are have worked tirelessly to make it happen. Read more of their story and adoption process here.

March 2015 | Castaway Animal Rescue Efforts

For the very first P+O Gives Back, a portion of shop profits in March were donated to one of my favorite local charities – Castaway Animal Rescue Efforts. I adopted my wild border collie Cooper from CARE several years ago, and I'm so glad he picked me! CARE is a no-kill animal shelter in southwest Missouri, learn more about their efforts at carerescue.org.

Have a cause you want to see P+O give back to? Shoot me an email + tell me about it.